Last year, I had a rough run with work related stress that caused lots of problems in my life. I became moody, irritable, and exhausted. There were times that I was just too tired or not in the right mental state to live my life. I just wanted to sleep or watch TV when I got home. I made a big decision to get myself out of that situation before it took too much of my life force and caused more physical and psychological problems.

For a few months, I still felt the lingering effects of a toxic situation until I finally took an active role in my well being. I started by lifting weights more routinely and while I was lifting, I lifted with intention and focus. And, I started walking almost everyday. While walking, I practiced mindfulness. I would notice small things on my walk like the sound of all of the birds, houses I had never seen before, cracks in the sidewalks, etc. Finally, I focused on my health by eating foods that fuel the type of lifestyle I want.

When I think about the kind of life I want, stress and overwhelm are not even remotely in the vision. I want to work hard by my own standard and deliver my work to the best of my ability without artificial pressure. I want to enjoy all aspects of life, which include personal time and work time and everything in between. While engaging in work, I want to fiercely pursue my goals and leave them in the office when I walk out of the doors. While engaging with my family and friends, I want to leave work out of the conversation unless there is a meaningful reason to bring it up.

All of this is to say that our overall well being in comprised of physical and mental components. You can either feed positive or negative things to these components and your life will reflect these results. It is time to evaluate and fiercely delete things that aren’t serving you so that you can live the life of your dreams.